diff --git a/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go b/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
index d8cd3d18e75..0048d12fc30 100644
--- a/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
+++ b/go/vt/vtctl/vtctl.go
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ var commands = []commandGroup{
 				"<from_keyspace> <to_keyspace> <tables>",
 				"Start the VerticalSplitClone process to perform vertical resharding. Example: SplitClone from_ks to_ks 'a,/b.*/'"},
 			{"VDiff", commandVDiff,
-				"-workflow=<workflow> <target keyspace> [-source_cell=<cell>] [-target_cell=<cell>] [-tablet_types=REPLICA] [-filtered_replication_wait_time=30s]",
+				"[-source_cell=<cell>] [-target_cell=<cell>] [-tablet_types=replica] [-filtered_replication_wait_time=30s] <keyspace.workflow>",
 				"Perform a diff of all tables in the workflow"},
 			{"MigrateServedTypes", commandMigrateServedTypes,
 				"[-cells=c1,c2,...] [-reverse] [-skip-refresh-state] <keyspace/shard> <served tablet type>",
@@ -323,10 +323,10 @@ var commands = []commandGroup{
 				"[-cells=c1,c2,...] [-reverse] <destination keyspace/shard> <served tablet type>",
 				"Makes the <destination keyspace/shard> serve the given type. This command also rebuilds the serving graph."},
 			{"MigrateReads", commandMigrateReads,
-				"[-cells=c1,c2,...] [-reverse] -workflow=workflow <target keyspace> <tablet type>",
+				"[-cells=c1,c2,...] [-reverse] -tablet_type={replica|rdonly} <keyspace.workflow>",
 				"Migrate read traffic for the specified workflow."},
 			{"MigrateWrites", commandMigrateWrites,
-				"[-filtered_replication_wait_time=30s] [-cancel] [-reverse_replication=false] -workflow=workflow <target keyspace>",
+				"[-filtered_replication_wait_time=30s] [-cancel] [-reverse_replication=false] <keyspace.workflow>",
 				"Migrate write traffic for the specified workflow."},
 			{"CancelResharding", commandCancelResharding,
 				"<keyspace/shard>",
@@ -1811,7 +1811,6 @@ func commandVerticalSplitClone(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFl
 }
 
 func commandVDiff(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
-	workflow := subFlags.String("workflow", "", "Specifies the workflow name")
 	sourceCell := subFlags.String("source_cell", "", "The source cell to compare from")
 	targetCell := subFlags.String("target_cell", "", "The target cell to compare with")
 	tabletTypes := subFlags.String("tablet_types", "", "Tablet types for source and target")
@@ -1819,16 +1818,28 @@ func commandVDiff(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.Fla
 	if err := subFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	if subFlags.NArg() != 1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("the <target keyspace> is required")
+		return fmt.Errorf("<keyspace.workflow> is required")
+	}
+	keyspace, workflow, err := splitKeyspaceWorkflow(subFlags.Arg(0))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
 
-	targetKeyspace := subFlags.Arg(0)
-	_, err := wr.VDiff(ctx, targetKeyspace, *workflow, *sourceCell, *targetCell, *tabletTypes, *filteredReplicationWaitTime,
+	_, err = wr.VDiff(ctx, keyspace, workflow, *sourceCell, *targetCell, *tabletTypes, *filteredReplicationWaitTime,
 		*HealthCheckTopologyRefresh, *HealthcheckRetryDelay, *HealthCheckTimeout)
 	return err
 }
 
+func splitKeyspaceWorkflow(in string) (keyspace, workflow string, err error) {
+	splits := strings.Split(in, ".")
+	if len(splits) != 2 {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid format for <keyspace.workflow>: %s", in)
+	}
+	return splits[0], splits[1], nil
+}
+
 func commandMigrateServedTypes(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
 	cellsStr := subFlags.String("cells", "", "Specifies a comma-separated list of cells to update")
 	reverse := subFlags.Bool("reverse", false, "Moves the served tablet type backward instead of forward.")
@@ -1889,16 +1900,15 @@ func commandMigrateServedFrom(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFla
 func commandMigrateReads(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
 	reverse := subFlags.Bool("reverse", false, "Moves the served tablet type backward instead of forward.")
 	cellsStr := subFlags.String("cells", "", "Specifies a comma-separated list of cells to update")
-	workflow := subFlags.String("workflow", "", "Specifies the workflow name")
+	tabletType := subFlags.String("tablet_type", "", "Tablet type (replica or rdonly)")
 	if err := subFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if subFlags.NArg() != 2 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("the <target keyspace> and <tablet type> arguments are required for the MigrateReads command")
-	}
 
-	keyspace := subFlags.Arg(0)
-	servedType, err := parseTabletType(subFlags.Arg(2), []topodatapb.TabletType{topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA, topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY})
+	if *tabletType == "" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("-tablet_type must be specified")
+	}
+	servedType, err := parseTabletType(*tabletType, []topodatapb.TabletType{topodatapb.TabletType_REPLICA, topodatapb.TabletType_RDONLY})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1910,29 +1920,34 @@ func commandMigrateReads(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *f
 	if *reverse {
 		direction = wrangler.DirectionBackward
 	}
-	if *workflow == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("a -workflow=workflow argument is required")
+	if subFlags.NArg() != 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("<keyspace.workflow> is required")
+	}
+	keyspace, workflow, err := splitKeyspaceWorkflow(subFlags.Arg(0))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	return wr.MigrateReads(ctx, keyspace, *workflow, servedType, cells, direction)
+
+	return wr.MigrateReads(ctx, keyspace, workflow, servedType, cells, direction)
 }
 
 func commandMigrateWrites(ctx context.Context, wr *wrangler.Wrangler, subFlags *flag.FlagSet, args []string) error {
 	filteredReplicationWaitTime := subFlags.Duration("filtered_replication_wait_time", 30*time.Second, "Specifies the maximum time to wait, in seconds, for filtered replication to catch up on master migrations. The migration will be aborted on timeout.")
 	reverseReplication := subFlags.Bool("reverse_replication", true, "Also reverse the replication")
 	cancelMigrate := subFlags.Bool("cancel", false, "Cancel the failed migration and serve from source")
-	workflow := subFlags.String("workflow", "", "Specifies the workflow name")
 	if err := subFlags.Parse(args); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+
 	if subFlags.NArg() != 1 {
-		return fmt.Errorf("the <target keyspace> argument is required for the MigrateWrites command")
+		return fmt.Errorf("<keyspace.workflow> is required")
 	}
-
-	keyspace := subFlags.Arg(0)
-	if *workflow == "" {
-		return fmt.Errorf("a -workflow=workflow argument is required")
+	keyspace, workflow, err := splitKeyspaceWorkflow(subFlags.Arg(0))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
 	}
-	journalID, err := wr.MigrateWrites(ctx, keyspace, *workflow, *filteredReplicationWaitTime, *cancelMigrate, *reverseReplication)
+
+	journalID, err := wr.MigrateWrites(ctx, keyspace, workflow, *filteredReplicationWaitTime, *cancelMigrate, *reverseReplication)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}